Monthly Archives: April 2009

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Music, Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Rock the Casbah Embassy

Photo courtesy of
‘Yann Tiersen 27’
courtesy of ‘Shadowgate’

Last night’s US premiere of musician and composer, Yann Tiersen, marked the opening of the season of events hosted by the ‘La Maison Française‘ (or “The French House“) Franco-American cultural exchange at the French Embassy. They are scheduling event’s throughout the summer and vary their selections from music (jazz, folk, classical, and rock) to other performances (cabaret, opera, theater) and are held in a very intimate setting on the grounds. If the actual quality of the performance isn’t enough, remember, this is France, and a complimentary wine tasting ensued after the performance (I only wished for cheese and bread to follow!).

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The Daily Feed
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George Will Hates Your Blue Jeans

Photo courtesy of
‘denim-03.jpg’
courtesy of ‘Shooting Nouns’

Oh George. I have never understood your fashion crusade. Sure, you’re a bright guy, you’re even a baseball fan (even if you do like the Cubs), but now you just sound like you belong on a porch, swinging your cane at these kids today with your hatred for the denim-wearing crowd.

It’s all about context, Mr. Will. Wearing jeans to see the President? Epic fail. Wearing jeans to the office where you will just sit and write all day? Where’s the harm? You may not have noticed it in your single wearing, but a good pair of your favorite jeans are far more comfortable than your average suit pants or khakis. And, if you work a desk or a phone, there’s no harm in wearing a great shirt and a good jacket with a pair of jeans at a casual event.

No one’s arguing for the abolition of the 3-piece suit, George. But calling jeans a misuse of freedom? I hardly know where to go with that, except to wonder if perhaps you got up on the wrong side of reality before you wrote that polemic.

What do you say, DC, jeans as anathema? Or jeans as acceptable?

Adventures, Fun & Games, Thrifty District
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Thrifty District: Reduced-Price Relaxation

Photo courtesy of
‘you need time for you’
courtesy of ‘dMap Travel Guide’

You can go ahead an insert the obligatory comments about the horrible economy plus how stressful everyone’s jobs are at the moment, and therefore make the obvious case for the increased need for stress-reducing treatments. Duh. You know my intro already. But let’s be realistic in our cost benefit analysis – is $120 for a massage going to make you feel better or worse about your financial situation? Right, you’re rolling your eyes, that’s what I thought.

But just because you can’t afford it doesn’t mean you don’t still need it. So I’m here to help you, friend, find a cheaper ticket to stress-less-ville. I’ve got a few cost-saving tips if you want to go to a professional spa, and then a few quick ideas and links if you’re up for a do it yourself spa session. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Scarlet Begonias (and the Dead) in the Oval Office

Photo courtesy of
‘Obama & Grateful Dead Bears’
courtesy of ‘ann-dabney’

In the department of Wishing You Could be a Fly on the Wall, word got out yesterday that President Obama had a secret meeting with the four surviving members of the Grateful Dead. Last October the sometimes feuding Dead reunited for an Obama benefit concert in Pennsylvania. 

They had a chat with the President in the Oval Office Monday, where they apparently noted a vase of Scarlet Begonias in the White House. Nice relevant greenery placement, Executive Office. Preceding their nighttime concert at the Verizon Center, the band grabbed some grub at the famed Old Ebbitt Grill.

The Daily Feed
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Last Chance Post Offices for Tax Day

Photo courtesy of
‘National Postal Museum’
courtesy of ‘cliff1066’

Several Post Offices have changed their hours for today to accommodate the true procrastinator for your taxes. There are several post offices open until 8pm tonight, and two that are open until Midnight, so you can still get that April 15th Postmark on your tax returns. Again, remember, if you’re owed money, the deadline isn’t as crucial as for those of you that owe the Feds. Click onward for a google map of the various post offices and their special closing times.

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The Daily Feed
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Bethesda Theatre: Musically Menopausal

Photo courtesy of
‘Menopause Two’
courtesy of ‘David Jackmanson’

This morning I noticed that Bethesda Theatre is showing two of my hometown’s favorites in their 2009 Off-Broadway Series.  Yesterday, Menopause the Musical “A Hilarious Celebration of Women and the Change” opened at the theater. Come May, Mike Dugan’s one-man-performance “Men Fake Foreplay” will open. The website for the later, I was interested to find, contains praise-filled blurbs from both the Syracuse New Times and the Auburn Citizen. 

That being said, Syracuse, I love you, but sometimes, your tastes are not my tastes (I have a google alert for “Syracuse ridiculous disaster“). 

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Business and Money, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Gimme Gimme More

courtesy of flickr user NCinDC

Who knew Tax Day was also Free Stuff/Discount On Everything Day? In follow up to KatieT’s Cinnabon and Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream & Treatery posts yesterday, there are plenty of ridiculous additional deals  to be had today.  Local discounts and giveaways are being held by McCormick & Schmick’s, Chick-Fil-A, Kimpton Hotels, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, T.G. I. Friday’s, etc.  Grab these deals while they’re hot.

Essential DC, Talkin' Transit, The Features
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Talkin’ Transit: Tags and Traffic

Photo courtesy of
‘W.H. Taft (LOC)’ courtesy of ‘The Library of Congress’

Did you know that vehicle registration in the District has dropped?

According to a new report being presented today, registrations dropped almost six percent between 2005 and 2008, from 258,100 to 243,200. The drop is significant in that when compared to U.S. Census data, the population in DC increased 1.7 percent.

As a comparison, Maryland and Virginia communities around the DC metro area increased between 3 and 6 percent.

What’s not known is why the drop has occurred, though there are theories.

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All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed
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Tea Party at Lafayette Park

Photo courtesy of
‘Tea Party in DC’ (courtesy ‘skye820’)

In addition to Tax Day, today is the official Fox News/Freedom Works “Tea Party” Day, when thousands, nay, millions of outraged conservatives who do not know what teabagging really means will descend on DC to protest taxes, because a Keynesian stimulus package and a ~3% increase in the marginal tax rate for the super-rich marks the end of the Republic as we know it. Updates and pics after the jump: Continue reading →

Downtown, Media, The Daily Feed
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Goodbye Vertigo. You will be missed.

The Bookstore, by petite corneille

The Bookstore, by petite corneille

Last days.  Going out of business.  Everything 20% off.

In the current economic climate, it isn’t hard to find a sign like this on stores all over the region.  It’s certainly hard to miss companies like Circuit City going out of business, but big-box stores leaving is just as impersonal and disconnected as their “sales” staff was when you walked in the door.  I can also try to avoid the obvious – and sappy – trap of saying how “sad” it is that a local business is leaving the DC area.

There is only one problem: it is sad.  A bookstore is a amazing thing.  It is a repository of knowledge, and living proof that our First Amendment is a powerful and empowering (and often frightening) statement of rights.  Local bookstores are the embodiment of our desire to constantly better ourselves.  And so we should miss them when they leave us.

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The Daily Feed
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White House Garden Tours This Weekend

Photo courtesy of
‘The first Camellia’
courtesy of ‘Roger Photos’

If you’re curious about the Rose Garden, or the White House Kitchen Garden, this weekend you get a chance to get a look. The White House Garden Tours are this weekend. Timed tickets will be distributed starting at 8AM on Saturday and Sunday, and it’s one ticket per person, so if you want to go with a friend, you both have to be there. No, you cannot bring your dog. And as with all things related to tours of government grounds, be sure to check out the prohibited items list before you go so the Secret Service doesn’t confiscate your grandfather’s heirloom pocket knife.

Essential DC, History, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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DC Public Library Joins Flickr Commons

3421670338_df6ff02e07_m

White House by flickr user DC Public Library Commons

This just in – the D.C. Public Library has joined the Flickr revolution and entered the Commons on Flickr. The Commons on Flickr is basically a place to share public photo archives and gives the public the opportunity to tag things and share personal knowledge.

Flickr says, “The District of Columbia Public Library is a center of activity in the U.S. capital and this 7 set, 145 photo sampling from its collection features historic images of D.C.’s buildings and federal memorials, the Arlington National Cemetery, historic houses, and street scenes. Also featured are portraits of past presidents and other prominent Americans.”

Start browsing, you might be able to find a shot of your street with horse and buggy!

The Daily Feed
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Champions Pass Go, Collect $20,580

Monopoly Man
Mr. Monopoly taken by helpful housemate Sam Rosen-Amy

And you thought the Masters at Augusta was riveting competitive titillation! On this sopping Tax Day, roll through Union Station between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. and witness the 2009 Monopoly U.S. National Championship. Twenty-eight of the nation’s best monopoly players will face off for a chance to win $20,580 — the exact total amount of a Monopoly bank (before your brother stole those 50s, that is…).  

The winner of today’s Championship will represent the U.S. in the World Championships in October in Las Vegas. U.S. has not seen a world champion since 1974. The last World Champion, Spain’s Antonio Fernandez reigned victorious in Tokyo in 2004. 

Continue reading →

Entertainment, Sports Fix, The Features
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Eastern Quarterfinals: Caps vs Rangers

Photo courtesy of
‘Ovechkin Waits For Puck’ courtesy of ‘clydeorama’

After one of their most successful regular seasons ever, the Washington Capitals are now ready to begin what many call the “real” hockey season: the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Tonight kicks off Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, with the second seed Caps holding home ice advantage in facing the seventh seed New York Rangers. So how does it all break down, and what do we think will happen?

The Rangers are coming in with a simplified game plan: attack, attack, attack – and hope that goalie Henrik Lundqvist can stop all the pucks flung his way. It’s not the most sure-fire strategy, but it’s kept the Rangers hanging on the last half of the season and slipping them into the playoffs with a decent 11-6-1 record after March 4. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Fenty & Council ticket conflict is more than it appears

Photo courtesy of
‘Nate W.’
courtesy of ‘MikeWas’

Today’s Washington Post has a story on a now-annual jerk contest over box seats in National’s Stadium. In brief, the city gets tickets to all the games and, according to WaPo, one box goes to the mayor and the other to the council, via the Sports and Entertainment Commission. The Nationals have delivered the tickets to Mayor Fenty directly, however, and he’s handing them out to his liking.

However if you look at the lease agreement as I found it[pdf], however, neither scenario is how it’s supposed to unfold and there’s more going on here. Continue reading →

Music, The Daily Feed
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Flaming Lips On the Mall

Photo courtesy of
‘Balloons3.JPG’
courtesy of ‘Tank Tankersley’

The lineup for Sunday’s Green Apple Music Festival concert on the Mall is now out, and the Flaming Lips will be headlining. DJ Spooky and Los Lobos will also be there, as well as a bunch of Earth-focused stars like Matthew Modine and Chevy Chase. The concert’s free, and starts around noon.

One interesting piece, though, is that it’s partially sponsored by Classic Rock 94.7….which is now no longer all about the classic rock, and is now Fresh 94.7FM which is more like “greatest hits of the popped collar crowd,” which might not be a good sponsor for Los Lobos and Flaming Lips.